Cooper Landing

Posted: Tuesday, December 07, 2004

By Mona Painter

The Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District held a planning forum at the community hall Nov. 22. I heard two of the community concerns expressed were regarding the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' decision on a route for the Sterling Highway project through the landing and the need for a community bike path from one end to the other or from Mile 45 to Mile 55.

George Siter spoke on the fire department's need for additional funding to complete the new building.

Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly member Ron Long is hosting a meeting at the community hall Friday to receive capital project requests.

Look for notices with more details in the post office, at the library and other places. For more information, call Jean Romig.

Of the 21 lots in the Birch and Grouse Ridge Subdivision that were auctioned off in October, 12 bidders have signed purchase agreements with the Kenai Peninsula Borough with bid amounts totaling well over a million dollars. Preliminary work is now being done on the Snug Harbor residential area, also known as the Hillside Residential Area, described in the 1996 Cooper Landing land-use classification plan. This may be the next Cooper Landing subdivision put up for auction by the borough.

Heidi Thrasher McReynolds is the owner and operator of Cooper Landing's new business, Rolfing Center, in the basement business offices of the Shrew's Nest at Mile 48.5 on the Sterling Highway.

Heidi is a certified rolfer and a member of the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration, a member of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) with the state and is a volunteer with Cooper Landing Emergency Medical Services.

Fifty-two years ago on Dec. 4, Helen Rhode's News From Cooper's Landing appeared in the Seward Bulletin newspaper. This was only a year after the highway opened to Anchorage so driving to Anchorage was news.

"Mr. and Mrs. Carl Clemson and daughter spent the Thanksgiving holidays with the Fleming Clemsons in Moose Pass. Mr. Clemson who is the teacher of the recently organized Cooper Landing School came to Alaska this year from Pennsylvania. His brother is teaching in Moose Pass. Classes were dismissed last Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holidays.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ken Lancaster and son drove to Anchorage to visit their daughter, Mrs. James Bumgarner.

"Mr. and Mrs. George Collens and family of Seward were guests of the Andy Andersons over the holidays.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ray McCann have returned to their home at Coopers Landing after a month's stop in Seward. They were with Eugene Lanier of that city.

"Dr. and Mrs. Frank Dorsey of Anchorage and guests were down to their Quartz Creek cabin over the holidays."

Reading the names in Helen's column brings back memories. The first place I stayed in Cooper Landing, in the summer of 1949, was in the Dorseys' cabin. Al Clayton had a cabin in the area and Hal and Claire Gilfilen were building theirs. I think there may have been another cabin.

The bear that came to visit at night made it necessary for me to be escorted out at night. This was after my Uncle Roy Bryson sat me down on the Dorsey's couch and told me seriously about the dangers of bears. And then he had me turn my head as he pulled back a blanket and I stared into the tooth filled mouth of a black bear. The fact that it was a black bear rug, flat and dead did not sink in for a few minutes.

Mona Painter can be reached by phone at 595-1248 or by email at painter@arctic.net